1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to control of processing in a rectangular array of similar processing elements as included in a cellular array processor and more particularly to such an array of processing elements and the control of processing elements as included in a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) processor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cellular array processors are well known and are arrays of relatively simple processors where each cell in the processor is connected only to its nearest neighbor cells. Many companies supply such devices and such devices are commercially available. A conventional processor operates on one data item at a time in a sequential manner, whereas a cellular array processor operates on many data objects at the same time under control of a single instruction stream.
For such processors to be useful, the data objects must be of the same type for any individual instruction so that it is meaningful to apply the same sequential instruction stream to operate simultaneously on these data objects. This class of processor is known as a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) processor. Cellular array processors may consist of a rectangular array of cells arranged in a matrix having M columns and N rows.
These cellular computers obey the same instructions simultaneously, each capable of operating on its own data. The cells as is known can communicate in all four direction with their neighbors and also with external data input and output registers for more distant communication.
The net effect is that of a set of computer which when they are enabled, obey the same arithmetic or logic operations simultaneously on different data items.